1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sharpening aids for facilitating the sharpening of knife blades and, more particularly, is concerned with a knife handle with sharpening guide indentations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optimal use of the variety of conventional knives generally found in the average household requires their frequent sharpening so as to maintain their effective cutting ability. It is often quite difficult for the average person to accomplish this task satisfactorily in an efficient manner.
A variety of sharpening aids have been devised to provide the average person with greater capability in the knife sharpening process. Representative examples of such aids are disclosed in U.S. patents to Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,437,495), Juranitch (U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,632), LeVine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,112), Owen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,953), Anothon et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,801) and Esposito (U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,225).
The devices discloses by Anderson, Juranitch, LeVine, Owen and Anothon et al each provides a blade-holding structure designed to present the knife blade at a proper angle for sharpening by a sharpening stone or hone. The LeVine, Owen and Anthon et al devices further include a sharpener element attachable thereto for carrying out the sharpening procedure. Esposito discloses a sharpening guide being essentially a wedge-shaped strip adhesively coated on one side for adhering to a knife blade. Such wedge-shaped strip is provided in both straight and curved forms so as to be fittable separately on the straight and curved portions of a knife blade.
The Anderson device is fairly simple in design and construction, so thereby would probably be inexpensive to manufacture. However, this device would seem to be generally most useful with broad or wide types of blades. The device must enclose a sufficient amount of the blade area therein for the adequate gripping thereof by hand pressure on the device as the knife blade is being sharpened. Consequently, utilization of the Anderson device with narrower blades would seem to be highly problematical.
The Juranitch, LeVine, Owen and Anthon et al devices are each fairly elaborate in design and construction, making manufacture thereof rather expensive. Such design complexity further presupposes a level of mechanical dexterity on the part of the average user which may not in fact be present. A user's lack of such dexterity would generally make utilization of such devices rather awkward and cumbersome and thereby fairly ineffective as sharpening aids.
The Esposito sharpening guide is simple in design and construction for inexpensive manufacture and ease in use. However, it would seem that a fairly strong type of adhesive substance would be required for adhering the guide effectively to a knife blade. The residue of such adhesive left on the blade after removal of the sharpening guide therefrom would necessitate vigorous cleaning of the blade. Such extra effort would be time-consuming and burdensome for the average busy user, making utilization of the Esposito guide rather infrequent.
Consequently, a need still exists for a knife sharpening aid which will overcome the drawbacks of the prior art as described above.